Video game machine, machine readable storage medium storing a computer program, and event selection method in the video game machine

• US 6,126,544 A
• Filed: 07/13/1998
• Issued: 10/03/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Konami Computer Entertainment Japan, Inc. (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kojima, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin-Wallace, Valencia
• Assistant Examiner(s): CLAYTON, SHEILA
• Application Number:
  US09/114,540
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 463/30-32, 463/42, 463/40-41, 463/43, 463/44, 273/236, 273/250, 273/251, 273/252, 273/253, 273/254, 273/255, 273/266
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/47 involving branching, e.g. choosing one of several possible scenarios at a given point in time
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5375 for graphically or textually suggesting an action, e.g. by displaying an arrow indicating a turn in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/305 for providing a graphical or textual hint to the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/632 by branching, e.g. choosing one of several possible story developments at a given point in time
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games

Abstract

A video game machine presents an attractive game that even those people who do not have enough time can enjoy. A CPU of the video game machine specifies one of a plurality of events related to the ending of a story in a game world. The CPU then determines whether the specified event is allowed to be skipped on the basis of a skip flag stored in a state management table. In the case where the CPU determines that the event is allowed to be skipped, if an event skip signal is input via a controller, then the CPU skips the presentation of that event and presents a bridge pattern instead of the skipped event. The skipping of the event results in the number of events related to the ending of the story and thus the time spent by the game player to reach the ending of the story.

Claims

1. A video game machine for presenting a plurality of events, which form a story in a game world and which are related to its ending, to a game player so that said game player can develop the story toward its ending via clearing the events by means of operating a character appearing in the story, said video game machine comprising:

event data storage means for storing the plurality of data each of which corresponds to one of said plurality of events respectively;

specifying means for specifying one of said plurality of events,

judgment means for reading the data of the event specified by said specifying means from said event data storage means and judging whether said event is allowed to be skipped or not on the basis of the data of said event; and

event cancel means for canceling the presentation of said event to the game player in response to an input of an event skip signal, provided that said judgement means has judged that said event is allowed to be skipped.

2. A video game machine according to claim 1, further comprising cleared event ratio storage means for storing cleared event ratio data indicating how many of said plurality of events have been cleared,

wherein in response to said event skip signal, said event cancel means cancels the presentation of the event judged by said judgement means as being allowed to be skipped, provided that the cleared event ratio data stored in said cleared event ratio storage means is greater than a predetermined threshold value.

3. A video game machine according to claim 1, further comprising connection event presentation means for presenting a connection event when the presentation of an event is canceled by said event cancel means, so that the event immediately prior to said canceled event is connected to the event following said canceled event via said connection event.

4. A video game machine for presenting a plurality of events, which form a story in a game world and which are related to its ending, to a game player one by one in a predetermined presentation order so that said game player can develop the story toward its ending via clearing the events by means of operating a character appearing in the story, said video game machine comprising:

event data storage means for storing the plurality of data each of which corresponds to one of said plurality of events respectively;

specifying means for specifying one of said plurality of events in accordance with said predetermined presentation order;

judgment means for reading the data of the event specified by said specifying means from said event data storage means and judging whether said event is allowed to be skipped or not on the basis of the data of said event; and

event cancel means for canceling the presentation of said event to the game player in response to an input of an event skip signal, provided that said judgement means has judged that said event is allowed to be skipped.

5. A video game machine according to claim 4, further comprising cleared event ratio storage means for storing cleared event ratio data indicating how many of said plurality of events have been cleared,

wherein in response to said event skip signal, said event cancel means cancels the presentation of the event judged by said judgement means as being allowed to be skipped, provided that the cleared event ratio data stored in said cleared event ratio storage means is greater than a predetermined threshold value.

6. A video game machine according to claim 5, further comprising connection event presentation means for presenting a connection event when the presentation of an event is canceled by said event cancel means, so that the event immediately prior to said canceled event is connected to the event following said canceled event via said connection event.

7. A video game machine according to claim 5, further comprising threshold value storage means for storing said plurality of threshold values each of which corresponds to one of said plurality of events respectively,

wherein in response to said event skip signal, said event cancel means cancels the presentation of the event judged by said judgement means as being allowed to be skipped, based on said threshold value stored in said threshold value storage means.

8. A video game machine according to claim 7, wherein said threshold values stored in said threshold value storage means are determined in accordance with said event presentation order.

9. A video game machine according to claim 4, further comprising connection event presentation means for presenting a connection event when the presentation of an event is canceled by said event cancel means, so that the event immediately prior to said canceled event is connected to the event following said canceled event via said connection event.

10. A video game machine according to claim 4, wherein said data of the plurality of events stored in said event data storage means include skip permission data indicating whether said events are allowed to be skipped or not, and said judgement means judges whether said event is allowed to be skipped or not on the basis of said skip permission data.

11. A video game machine according to claim 10, wherein said skip permission data is determined in accordance with said event presentation order.

12. A machine readable storage medium storing a computer program for use by a video game machine to present a plurality of events, which form a story in a game world and which are related to its ending, to a game player so that said game player can develop the story toward its ending via clearing the events by means of operating a character appearing in the story, said computer program being adapted to make a computer execute the process comprising the steps of:

reading one of a plurality of data each of which corresponds to one of said plurality of events respectively;

determining whether said event is allowed to be skipped on the basis of said data of the event; and

in response to an input of an event skip signal, canceling the presentation of said event to the game player, provided that said event has been determined to be allowed to be skipped.

13. A machine readable storage medium storing a computer program for use by a video game machine to present a plurality of events, which form a story in a game world and which are related to its ending, to a game player one by one in a predetermined presentation order so that said game player can develop the story toward its ending via clearing the events by means of operating a character appearing in the story, said computer program being adapted to make a computer execute the process comprising the steps of:

specifying one of said plurality of events in accordance with said predetermined presentation order and reading the data which corresponds to said specified event;

determining whether said specified event is allowed to be skipped on the basis of said data of the specified event;

in response to an input of an event skip signal, canceling the presentation of said event to the game player, provided that said specified event has been determined to be allowed to be skipped.

14. A machine readable storage medium storing a computer program, according to claim 13, wherein said computer program further comprising the steps of reading cleared event ratio data indicating how many of said plurality of events have been cleared;

reading the threshold value corresponding to the specified event; and

comparing said cleared event ratio data to said threshold value, and wherein in said event canceling step the presentation of said event is canceled in response to an input of an event skip signal, provided that said event has been determined to be allowed to be skipped, and provided that said cleared event ratio data is greater than said threshold value.

15. A machine readable storage medium storing a computer program, according to claim 14, wherein said computer program further comprising the step of presenting a connection event when the presentation of an event is canceled so that the event immediately prior to said canceled event is connected to the event immediately following said canceled event via said connection event.

16. A method of selecting an event in a video game machine for presenting a plurality of events, which form a story in a game world and which are related to its ending, to a game player so that said game player can develop the story toward its ending via clearing the events by means of operating a character appearing in the story, said method comprising the steps of:

reading one of a plurality of data each of which corresponds to one of said plurality of events respectively;

determining whether said event is allowed to be skipped on the basis of said data of the event; and

,

in response to an input of an event skip signal, canceling the presentation of said event to the game player, provided that said event has been determined to be allowed to be skipped.

17. A method of selecting an event in a video game machine for presenting a plurality of events, which form a story in a game world and which are related to its ending, to a game player one by one in a predetermined presentation order so that said game player can develop the story toward its ending via clearing the events by means of operating a character appearing in the story, said method comprising the steps of:

specifying one of said plurality of events in accordance with said predetermined presentation order and reading the data which corresponds to said specified event;

determining whether said specified event is allowed to be skipped on the basis of said data of the event; and

canceling the presentation of said event to the game player in response to an input of an event skip signal, provided that said specified event has been determined to be allowed to be skipped.

18. A method of selecting an event in a video game machine, according to claim 17, further comprising the steps of reading cleared event ratio data indicating how many of said plurality of events have been cleared;

reading the threshold value corresponding to the specified event; and

comparing said cleared event ratio data to said threshold value, wherein in said event canceling step the presentation of said event is canceled in response to an input of an event skip signal, provided that said event has been determined to be allowed to be skipped, and provided that said cleared event ratio data is greater than said threshold value.

19. A method of selecting an event in a video game machine, according to claim 18, further comprising the step of presenting a connection event when the presentation of an event is canceled so that the event immediately prior to said canceled event is connected to the event immediately following said canceled event via said connection event.